Category Archives: Bacillus

Research – How filthy is YOUR phone? Stomach-churning study reveals the ‘invisible life’ lurking on the average device – including E.Coli from human POO

Posted on March 26, 2023 | Leave a comment

Daily Mail

Bacteria from both human and cockroach poo are among the secret germs that lurk on our phones, experts have warned.

E.Coli and Fecal Streptococci were found on 100 per cent of smartphone screens in a study of the harmful microbes that plague our devices.

Food poisoning germ, Bacillus cereus, and pneumonia-causing S. aureus, were also found on each of the 20 swabs taken from 10 phones.

While none of them had traces of Salmonella, half of them did contain P. aeruginosa which is commonly found in cockroach poo.

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Pseudomonas, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Research, Staphylococcus aureus

Research – Biocontrol Potential of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus tequilensis against Four Fusarium Species

Posted on February 11, 2023 | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

The use of biological control agents as opposed to synthetic agrochemicals to control plant pathogens has gained momentum, considering their numerous advantages. The aim of this study is to investigate the biocontrol potential of plant bacterial isolates against Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium culmorum, and Fusarium verticillioides. Isolation, identification, characterization, and in vitro biocontrol antagonistic assays of these isolates against Fusarium species were carried out following standard protocols. The bacterial endophytes were isolated from Glycine max. L leaves (B1), Brassica napus. L seeds (B2), Vigna unguiculata seeds (B3), and Glycine max. L seeds (B4). The bacterial isolates were identified using 16S rRNA PCR sequencing. A phylogenetic analysis shows that the bacterial isolates are closely related to Bacillus subtilis (B1) and Bacillus tequilensis (B2–B4), with an identity score above 98%. All the bacterial isolates produced a significant amount (p < 0.05) of indole acetic acid (IAA), siderophores, and protease activity. In vitro antagonistic assays of these isolates show a significant (p < 0.05) growth inhibition of the fungal mycelia in the following order: F. proliferatum > F. culmorum > F. verticillioides > F. oxysporum, compared to the control. The results suggest that these bacterial isolates are good biocontrol candidates against the selected Fusarium species.

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus Subtilis, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Fusarium Toxin, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

Research – Post-Cooking Growth and Survival of Bacillus cereus Spores in Rice and Their Enzymatic Activities Leading to Food Spoilage Potential

Posted on February 2, 2023 | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Bacillus cereus strains vary in their heat resistance, post-processing survival and growth capacity in foods. Hence, this study was carried out to determine the effect of cooking on the survival and growth of eight B. cereus spores in rice at different temperatures in terms of their toxigenic profiles and extracellular enzyme activity. Samples of rice inoculated with different B. cereus spores were cooked and stored at 4 °C, 25 °C and 30 °C for up to 7 days, 48 h and 24 h, respectively. Out of eight B. cereus strains, four and three spore strains were able to grow at 30 °C and 25 °C post-cooking, respectively. Rapid growth was observed after a minimum of 6 h of incubation at 30 °C. All strains possessed proteolytic activity, whereas lipolytic and amylolytic activities were exhibited by 50% and 12.5% of the strains, respectively. The post-cooking survival and growth capacity of the B. cereus strains appeared to be independent of their toxigenic profiles, whereas extracellular enzymatic activities were required for their vegetative growth. Due to the B. cereus spores’ abilities to survive cooking and return to their active cellular form, great care should be taken when handling ready-to-eat foods.

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Bacterial Spores, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Spores

Research – Identification of Genetic Markers for the Detection of Bacillus thuringiensis Strains of Interest for Food Safety

Posted on December 24, 2022 | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), belonging to the Bacillus cereus (Bc) group, is commonly used as a biopesticide worldwide due to its ability to produce insecticidal crystals during sporulation. The use of Bt, especially subspecies aizawai and kurstaki, to control pests such as Lepidoptera, generally involves spraying mixtures containing spores and crystals on crops intended for human consumption. Recent studies have suggested that the consumption of commercial Bt strains may be responsible for foodborne outbreaks (FBOs). However, its genetic proximity to Bc strains has hindered the development of routine tests to discriminate Bt from other Bc, especially Bacillus cereus sensu stricto (Bc ss), well known for its involvement in FBOs. Here, to develop tools for the detection and the discrimination of Bt in food, we carried out a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 286 complete genomes of Bc group strains to identify and validate in silico new molecular markers specific to different Bt subtypes. The analyses led to the determination and the in silico validation of 128 molecular markers specific to Bt, its subspecies aizawai, kurstaki and four previously described proximity clusters associated with these subspecies. We developed a command line tool based on a 14-marker workflow, to carry out a computational search for Bt-related markers from a putative Bc genome, thereby facilitating the detection of Bt of interest for food safety, especially in the context of FBOs.

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis , Bt, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Technology, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Technology

RASFF Alert – Bacillus cereus – Prepared Meal

Posted on December 23, 2022 | Leave a comment

RASFF

High amount of Bacillus cereus in prepared dish from Slovakia in Austria

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus cereus, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, Food Toxin, RASFF

Research – Microbiological Quality of Ready-to-Eat Salad Products Collected from Retail and Catering Settings in England during 2020 to 2021

Posted on December 22, 2022 | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

ABSTRACT

Salad and other fresh produce were collected in England from retail and catering businesses during 2020 to 2021 and were tested for Salmonella, Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Listeria, Bacillus cereus, and E. coli. Of the 604 samples collected, 57% were from retail settings and 43% were from catering settings; 61% were either salad leaves or salad leaves mixed with other products.

Equal numbers of samples were prepacked or loose, and 50% were refrigerated at the time of sampling. Combining results for all microbiological parameters, 84% were interpreted as satisfactory, 12% were interpreted as borderline, and 4% were interpreted as unsatisfactory. One sample (prepacked leaves, cucumber, and tomato from a caterer) was categorized as unacceptable and potentially injurious because of detection of STEC O76; no STEC from human infections in the United Kingdom matched this isolate.

No Salmonella enterica was detected, but Listeria monocytogenes was recovered from 11 samples: 1 at 20 CFU/g and the remainder at <20 CFU/g. B. cereus was detected at borderline levels (103 to ≤105 CFU/g) in 9% of samples and at an unsatisfactory level (>105 CFU/g) in one sample. E. coli was detected in 3% of samples at borderline levels (20 to ≤102 CFU/g) and in 4% at unsatisfactory levels (>102 CFU/g).

There was a significant association between detection of L. monocytogenes and borderline or unsatisfactory levels of E. coli. There were no specific risk profiles associated with products with the higher levels of B. cereus, STEC, or Listeria, but elevated levels of E. coli were predominantly confined to loose products from the United Kingdom collected from caterers in summer or autumn 2021 and may have resulted from relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions. Among the L. monocytogenes isolates, only one matched those from human cases and was recovered from a prepacked mixed salad from a catering business in 2021. This isolate was the same strain as that responsible for a multicountry outbreak (2015 to 2018) associated with Hungarian-produced frozen sweet corn; no link to the outbreak food chain was established.

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Posted in Antimicrobials, Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Salmonella, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – A Comprehensive Review of Variability in The Thermal Resistance (D-Values) of Food-Borne Pathogens—A Challenge for Thermal Validation Trials

Posted on December 20, 2022 | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

The thermal processing of food relies heavily on determining the right time and temperature regime required to inactivate bacterial contaminants to an acceptable limit. To design a thermal processing regime with an accurate time and temperature combination, the D-values of targeted microorganisms are either referred to or estimated. The D-value is the time required at a given temperature to reduce the bacterial population by 90%. The D-value can vary depending on various factors such as the food matrix, the bacterial strain, and the conditions it has previously been exposed to; the intrinsic properties of the food (moisture, water activity, fat content, and pH); the method used to expose the microorganism to the thermal treatment either at the laboratory or commercial scale; the approach used to estimate the number of survivors; and the statistical model used for the analysis of the data. This review focused on Bacillus cereus, Cronobacter sakazakii, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Clostridium perfringens owing to their pathogenicity and the availability of publications on their thermal resistance. The literature indicates a significant variation in D-values reported for the same strain, and it is concluded that when designing thermal processing regimes, the impact of multiple factors on the D-values of a specific microorganism needs to be considered. Further, owing to the complexity of the interactions involved, the effectiveness of regimes derived laboratory data must be confirmed within industrial food processing settings.
 

 

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium, Clostridium perfringens, Cronobacter sakazakii, cross contamination, D-Value, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

France – Ground ginger – Bacillus cereus

Posted on December 12, 2022 | Leave a comment

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Feed
  • Product subcategory Herbs and spices
  • Product brand name marius
  • Model names or references Bottle Ground Ground Ginger
  • Identification of products
    GTIN Batch Date
    3183811059041 03.05.25/F5904 Date of minimum durability 03/05/2025
    3183811059041 000322885 Date of minimum durability 06/09/2025
    3183811059041 000323659 Date of minimum durability 09/14/2025
  • Packaging 35g bottle
  • Marketing start/end date From 18/05/2022 to 08/12/2022
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored at room temperature
  • Further information Glass bottle with black cap
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Whole France
  • Distributors Retail
  • List of points of sale Ginger_ground_3_lots.pdf

Practical information regarding the recall

  • Reason for recall Presence of Bacillus cereus in ginger raw material

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, Food Toxin

France – Mix for Guacamole – Bacillus cereus

Posted on December 12, 2022 | Leave a comment

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Feed
  • Product subcategory Herbs and spices
  • Product brand name marius
  • Model names or references Guacamole Mix Bottle
  • Identification of products
    GTIN Batch Date
    3183811060474 000324504 Date of minimum durability 09/20/2025
  • Packaging 48g bottle
  • Marketing start/end date From 04/10/2022 to 08/12/2022
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored at room temperature
  • Further information Glass bottle with black cap
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Whole France
  • Distributors Retail
  • List of points of saleTRACABILITE_6047__LOT_000324504__(ginger_moulu_lot_28042022_lot_fournisseur_N°1556).pdf

Practical information regarding the recall

  • Reason for recall Presence of Bacillus cereus in ginger raw material

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, Food Toxin

France – Spice Mixture for Fish – Bacillus cereus

Posted on December 12, 2022 | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Feed
  • Product subcategory Herbs and spices
  • Product brand name marius
  • Model names or references Flask Mixture for Fish
  • Identification of products
    GTIN Batch Date
    3183811060528 000324548 Date of minimum durability 09/20/2025
  • Packaging 42g bottle
  • Marketing start/end date From 04/10/2022 to 06/12/2022
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored at room temperature
  • Further information Glass bottle with black cap
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Whole France
  • Distributors Retail
  • List of points of saleTRACABILITE_6052__LOT_000324548_(ginger_moulu_lot_28042022_lot_fournisseur_N°1556).pdf

Practical information regarding the recall

  • Reason for recall Presence of Bacillus cereus in ginger raw material
  • Risks incurred by the consumer Bacillus cereus

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, Food Toxin